Prince Cheng Dai Tianfeng's carriage traveled almost through the night to return to Star Luo City. Without even entering his residence, he changed direction and headed for the magnificent building in the city center, second only to the imperial palace-the Spirit Hall Main Hall in Star Luo City.
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Dai Tianfeng took his seat in the Spirit Hall's reception room.
His face was haggard and his eyes sunken, but his back was ramrod straight.
Before long, an elderly man in the sumptuous robes of a Platinum Bishop strolled in, surrounded by several Soul Ancestor deacons.
He was the master of the Spirit Hall Main Hall in Star Luo City, a level eighty-seven Soul Douluo.
"Your Highness, Prince Cheng, what a rare visitor."
The Platinum Bishop wore a perfunctory smile, but did not sit down. He simply looked down at Dai Tianfeng.
Dai Tianfeng dispensed with pleasantries and laid out the plan discussed the previous night, leaving out only the part about the Soul Bone.
"...That is the situation. To ensure absolute fairness in the princes' duel, a matter vital to the foundation of the empire, I would like to ask you to act as a witness, Your Grace."
After hearing him out, the Platinum Bishop's smile grew intrigued.
He sauntered over to the seat of honor and sat down, picking up the fragrant tea a maid offered him. He blew gently on it, but did not drink.
"Your Highness, you know the Spirit Hall's rules. We never interfere in an empire's internal affairs."
He spoke unhurriedly. "This duel between the princes is a private matter for your Dai Family, is it not?"
Dai Tianfeng cursed the old fox inwardly, but forced a sincere expression onto his face:
"Your Grace, you overstate the matter. This is not just a family affair, but a matter of state!"
"A Titled Douluo from an unknown faction is backing the first prince, Dai Weisi. That has already upset the balance."
"All we seek is fairness. Surely the Spirit Hall would also be pleased to see a stable Star Luo Empire, free from interference by outside forces?"
"Hmm... there is some sense in what you say."
The Platinum Bishop set down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. Each tap seemed to strike Dai Tianfeng's heart.
Silence filled the hall.
After a long while, the Platinum Bishop seemed to remember something and suddenly smiled.
"Your Highness, speaking of which, those good-for-nothing nephews of mine have lately been complaining that cultivating in the hall all day is too dull. They want to do their part for the empire, find some official posts, and gain a little experience. What do you think...?"
The stone weighing on Dai Tianfeng's heart finally dropped. Here it came-the real point.
"Your Grace's nephews must be dragons and phoenixes among men. It would be the empire's good fortune to have them serve the country!"
Dai Tianfeng immediately followed up, "What positions are they interested in?"
"Nothing too demanding."
The Platinum Bishop waved a hand and spoke as if it were nothing. "Just a few minor posts in the city defense army or the patrol battalion. Give them each a secondary seventh-rank commission, something to keep them occupied, and that will do."
The corner of Dai Tianfeng's eye twitched.
The city defense army and patrol battalion were key departments that held military power. The bishop had asked for several posts in one breath, yet made it sound so casual.
"Secondary seventh rank?" Dai Tianfeng asked deliberately, as if he had misheard.
"Hmm?"
The Platinum Bishop's smile faded.
Dai Tianfeng steeled himself and gritted out:
"No! You've misunderstood, Your Grace! I mean, secondary seventh rank would be beneath their talents! Primary seventh rank! They must be primary seventh-rank military officers!"
The smile on the Platinum Bishop's face instantly broadened again, like a chrysanthemum in full bloom.
"Your Highness, you truly are a straightforward man! Since you are so gracious, the Spirit Hall will agree to this matter!"
"A mere Titled Douluo-if he dares act arrogantly at the witnessed duel, he'll be showing the Spirit Hall no respect!"
"Many thanks, Your Grace!"
When Dai Tianfeng emerged from the Spirit Hall, waves of dizziness washed over him.
He really could not make arrangements in the city defense army, but he did have some say over the patrol battalion.
He also knew he was asking a tiger for its skin, but for the matter at hand, he had no choice.
Upon returning to his residence, he immediately summoned his trusted aides and issued a second order.
"Spread the word! Tell everyone that His Highness the second prince, Dai Mubai, is a divinely gifted warrior who has returned from training abroad and will soon restore order to the court!"
"Also say that the first prince, Dai Weisi, is unworthy of his position. After one defeat, he still intends to collude with outsiders and usurp the throne by force. His intentions deserve death!"
"Find more storytellers and make the tale exciting! Give it flesh and blood, love and hate, passion and vengeance!"
"Make the second prince the embodiment of justice and portray the first prince as a despicable villain!"
Before long, undercurrents were surging throughout Star Luo City.
In teahouses and taverns, on streets and down alleys, "secrets" about the two princes were everywhere.
Dai Mubai was said to be a hidden dragon who had traveled far and wide, held the world in his heart, and even boldly seized the championship of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament;
Dai Weisi, meanwhile, became a schemer who relied on a mysterious expert to suppress loyal and virtuous people.
Public opinion began to shift at a terrifying speed.
The first prince's residence.
A guard stood with his head lowered, reporting the rumors outside and the movements of Prince Cheng's residence one by one.
"...Prince Cheng has persuaded the Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishop to act as a witness. The rumors in the city are also very unfavorable to Your Highness."
Zhu Zhuyun stood nearby, her delicate brows tightly knitted.
"They mean to overwhelm us with public support first, then use the Spirit Hall to restrain Douluo Shi. They've certainly made a cunning calculation."
Dai Weisi, however, leaned back in his chair and listened to it all. Far from growing angry, he let out a low laugh.
"Hahaha... good. That's good."
Zhu Zhuyun looked at him in confusion. "What's good about it?"
Dai Weisi rose and walked to the window, looking toward the imperial city. A sharp light that saw through everything flickered in his eyes.
"It's just as well they've invited the Spirit Hall."
"I never intended to have Shi Mo do much in the first place. With the Spirit Hall as witness, the outcome of this duel will be all the more convincing, and it will shut the mouths of everyone under heaven."
He turned around, a cold curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
"As for those rumors, they're nothing but the howls of beaten dogs. The more they do this, the more they reveal their guilty consciences and fear."
"They think they're isolating me? Quite the opposite."
Dai Weisi's voice was full of confidence and domineering force. "They're laying all their trump cards out on the table in plain sight. Good. That saves me the trouble of finding them one by one."
He looked at the guard and ordered, "Draft a challenge in my name as the first prince. Send someone to deliver it to Flying Eagle City at full speed!"
"Tell Dai Mubai I'll be waiting for him in three days at the Great Soul Arena in the center of Star Luo City."
"Life or death will be decided in one battle!"
Flying Eagle City, the relay station.
Inside a room, a powerful surge of Soul Power erupted, and the resulting wave sent tables and chairs flying.
Dai Mubai slowly opened his eyes, brilliant light flashing in his demonic eyes. Two yellow and two purple Soul Rings, four in all, pulsed around him.
Level fifty!
Clearly, he had perfectly absorbed the Swift Shadow Swift Leopard Left Leg Bone.
With the boost from this Soul Bone, his Soul Power had finally risen, breaking through to level fifty!
With just one more Soul Ring, he too would be a Soul King!
What delighted him even more was that his left leg seemed able to become one with the wind. With a single thought, he could feel a sense of ultimate speed.
"Mubai, you did it!"
Zhu Zhuqing came up to him, pleasantly surprised.
"Naturally!"
Dai Mubai rose to his full height, feeling the power surging within him. Unprecedented confidence filled his chest.
Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the door:
"Your Highness, urgent news from Star Luo City! The first prince has sent someone with a challenge!"
A challenge?
Dai Mubai took the gilded challenge, unfolded it, and laughed scornfully as he read.
"Him? He actually dares to challenge me?"
He passed the challenge to Zhu Zhuqing and said arrogantly, "Zhu Zhuqing, look. Does he think breaking through to Soul King guarantees him victory? How ridiculous!"
"He has one more Soul Ring than you. After all..."
Zhu Zhuqing was still somewhat worried.
"What does one Soul Ring matter?"
Dai Mubai interrupted her, his eyes full of greed and madness.
"My Soul Power is level fifty now too!"
"Besides, there are still three days. There isn't enough time to go to a Soul Beast forest and obtain a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, but there are tiger-type Soul Beasts several thousand years old in the Royal Soul Hunting Forest!"
"They're just a few years younger, that's all!"
"More importantly, I've fused with this Swift Shadow Swift Leopard Left Leg Bone! My speed and explosive power have more than doubled!"
The more Dai Mubai spoke, the more excited he became. Now he felt that Dai Weisi was nothing but a grasshopper after autumn, while he himself was the true chosen one of destiny.
The next moment, he pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms and whispered in her ear:
"Don't forget, although both they and we still have the Hell White Tiger!"
"With this Soul Bone boosting our speed, the power of our Martial Soul Fusion Skill can increase by at least fifty percent!"
"Even if Dai Weisi's fifth Soul Ring is ten thousand years old, he'll still be crushed before power like ours!"
With that, Dai Mubai stood up, pushed open the door, and announced loudly to the guards outside:
"Pass the order! Everyone, prepare!"
"Set out! We're returning to Star Luo City, but first we'll go straight to the Star Luo Empire Royal Soul Hunting Forest!"
"When I come out of the Star Luo Empire Royal Soul Hunting Forest, I'll make everyone see with their own eyes who the empire's only heir truly is!"